Upper Midwest Food Policy Council Training
Thursday, February 28, 12:00pm until Friday Feb.29 3:00pm
Location: Hilton City Center, Milwaukee
Price $40 (seats limited to 50 registrants)
Sponsored by Community Food Security Coalition

The Community Food Security Coalition and its Food Policy Council Program will be offering three regional FPC training workshops in 2008, the second of which will be in Milwaukee. This workshop is designed to assist Upper Midwestern individuals and organizations interested in the development of local, regional or state food policy councils – those that are currently operational as well as those that are in the very early stages of development. The training will emphasize the organizational development of coalitions and networks that may precede the actual establishment of a food policy council, the operation of food policy councils, and the development of effective local and state food policy strategies. As such, the workshop is suitable for beginners as well as those with more experience.

Each of the three 2008 workshops are designed to promote regional networking and information sharing. To that end, workshop registration will give priority to people within the region where they are located.  As additional space becomes available, people from outside of that region will be able to participate. Some scholarship funds are available to defray the cost of travel and lodging. First preference for scholarship support will be for limited resource farmers and ranchers.

"This is an exciting time for those involved in urban farming in North America.  The desire of consumers, at all levels of society, for fresh, locally-produced food as an alternative to food transported over great distances to kitchen tables, restaurants and schools has led to increased opportunities for food production in city neighborhoods, and on farmland in close proximity to cities.  Drawing on a growing understanding of the role that local food and urban agriculture plays in strengthening community food security, proponents also point to the links that city farming makes to public health, issues of homelessness and the elderly, urban/suburban land use, education and youth programming, and community/neighborhood development and job creation.  In the bigger picture, the increased number of city and suburban farms, in North America and globally can also begin to address the critical issues of climate change and efficient energy use.

Looked at broadly, [Urban Agriculture] is a complex activity, addressing issues central to community food security, community development, environmental sustainability, land use planning, agricultural and food systems, farmland preservation, and other concerns.”

--from North American Urban and Peri Urban Agriculture Alliance.